In the building construction field, a method of pouring concrete walls in a prone position has become popular where the concrete is permitted to set, then the wall is tilted up into position and a foundation poured to receive the wall, the foundation generally rising up above the edge of the wall to grasp the wall in a tongue and groove manner. To prepare a wall in this fashion, it is customary for the floor of the building being built to serve as a part of the form. Usually the floor is concrete and by its use, a flat panel may be made.
When the construction has progressed to the point where the floors of the building have been prepared and wall construction is to begin and the decision has been made to use the tilt-up type concrete walls, the usual procedure is to use a 2 .times. 8 or other appropriate piece of wood to form the side walls of the tilt-up panel to be poured. Obviously, as the panel will lay upon the floor of the building, a release or perhaps, plastic, is required to be laid on the floor to keep the concrete panel from adhering to the floor. The wood which is presently used is held to the floor by driving long spikes or concrete nails through the wood and into the concrete floor or, by drilling holes partially into the wood and then finishing with a concrete nail or similar device. Generally, the wood pieces are placed such that the smallest thickness rests on the concrete floor with the width of the board perpendicular to the floor, the width of the board serving to form the thickness of the wall panel to be poured.
Once the wood forms are attached to the floor by means of concrete nails or other means, then, along the interior bottom perimeter, i.e., next to the concrete floor is placed a chamfer. This chamfer is usually made of wood having a cross-sectional shape of an equilateral triangle with appropriate lengthed side arms. The chamfer is nailed to the wood form to hold it in place, or it could be nailed to the floor.
The chamfer is placed all the way around the bottom portion of the mold form. Then, a similar chamfer is attached to the perimeter of the form at the top of the wood side wall form by nailing to the wood side form. The wood forms must be attached to the floor as there is a tendency for the forms to float up as the concrete is poured into the cavity.
Thereafter, the concrete is poured into the form and permitted to set. After the concrete has set, the upper chamfer is removed with a crowbar or other type of device, and in the process, is destroyed beyond reuse. Similarly, the wood form is destroyed in removing to obtain access to the wall panels. The wall panel is then lifted from the form and set in place as previously described.
As the forms are removed, large gaping holes are left in the concrete floor as rather large concrete nails or other fastening means, sometimes referred to as piston pins, are necessary to hold the wood side wall forms in place. These holes, of course must then be patched.
As evidenced from the above description, the process of constructing the forms is a lengthy process requiring a long period of work time by a carpenter and as is usually the case, the forms are not reusable.